EXPERIENCE SHARING FORUMS

USPC and YOU in Conversation

Consistent, clear and transparent tenure and promotion criteria are essential to our academic staffing. Each of the 3 University Selection and Promotion Panels (USPCs) held an open forum to share their insights, and answer questions, on such criteria in late February 2019 and early March 2019.

Tenure and Promotion Forum for Physical and Life Sciences

​Following the first Tenure and Promotion Forum on November 7, 2017 for Humanities and Social Sciences, the second Forum was held on November 13, 2017 for Physical and Life Sciences in CPD LG-07.

Around 70 colleagues came for the sharing by professoriate staff promoted this year. Professor Terry Au, Vice-President (Academic Staffing and Resources) chaired the Forum and invited Dr. Esther Chan (Pharmacology and Pharmacy), Dr. Huachen Zhu (Public Health), Dr. David Li (Chemistry) and Professor Wang Yao (Physics) to talk about their personal experiences in preparing for tenure and promotion reviews. They recounted how they worked steadily and strategically to build their research and teaching records, establish collaboration networks, engage in university and community service and discuss with senior colleagues about their progress and areas that need more work. Participants responded enthusiastically with questions and generated a most thoughtful conversation.

Tenure and Promotion Forum for Humanities and Social Sciences

On November 6, 2017, a forum for Humanities, Social Sciences, Education, Business, Law and Architecture was held in the Senate Room. Professor Kendall Johnson (Humanities), Professor Echo Wan (Business and Economics), Dr. Liz Jackson (Education) and Dr. Shelly Tong (Education)—who have been successfully promoted this year—shared with about 60 colleagues some useful tips on preparing for tenure and promotion reviews.

The second forum will be held on Monday, November 13, 2017 for Physical and Life Sciences in CPD LG-07 on the Centennial Campus.

Objective Setting for PRD

The simplified PRD (Performance Review and Development) form will have sharper focuses: Clear objective setting and constructive feedback, as well as highlights of achievement. Visits to Faculties were carried out to clarify and try out how clear, achievable, and equitable objectives could be developed. Once our 10 Faculties have developed (the first iteration of) objectives for each academic rank, we plan to post sample objectives in early 2017 for greater transparency. ​

Beginning in 2017, our PRD exercise will properly recognize mentorship as a powerful contribution to enhancing academic excellence (via mentor-cum-reviewers’ honest feedback on setting and meeting objectives), and hence as invaluable service to HKU.

Lunch & Learn for Woman Academics

Informal lunch gatherings for woman academics where more senior woman academics share their paths, tips for success, and insights on providing strategic support for women colleagues on institutional level.

​What Do 3* & 4* Research Outputs Look Like?

Former and recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) panelists shared their insights on what internationally excellent (3*) and leading (4*) research outputs look like and how to grow our research to produce such outputs (May 11, 2016).